This study aimed to evaluate the fermentation in the large intestine of indigestible dietary protein sources from animal, insect, and plant origin using an in vitro model of the pig’s gastrointestinal ... [more ▼]

This study aimed to evaluate the fermentation in the large intestine of indigestible dietary protein sources from animal, insect, and plant origin using an in vitro model of the pig’s gastrointestinal tract. Protein sources were used raw and after a cooking treatment. Results showed that the category of the ingredient (meats, insects, or grain legumes) exerts a stronger impact on enzymatic digestibility, fermentation patterns, and bacterial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) than the cooking treatment. The digestibility and the fermentation characteristics of insects were more affected by the cooking procedure than the other categories. Per gram of consumed food, ingredients from animal origin, namely, meats and insects, were associated with fewer fermentation end-products (gas, H2S, SCFA) than ingredients from plant origin, which is related to their higher small intestinal digestibility. [less ▲]

Animal and plant proteins are major proteins sources in the human diet. After their enzymatic degradation in the upper gastro-intestinal tract, the undigested fraction of these proteins is available for ... [more ▼]

Animal and plant proteins are major proteins sources in the human diet. After their enzymatic degradation in the upper gastro-intestinal tract, the undigested fraction of these proteins is available for fermentation by the microbiota of the large intestine leading to the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA), ammonia, biogenic amines, sulphur metabolites, phenols and indoles. As some of these compounds have genotoxic and cytotoxic effects, protein fermentation is considered as detrimental to the host’s epithelial health. BCFA are usually used as a marker of intestinal protein fermentation. We studied in vivo the impact of proteins from animal and plant origin, raw or after a cooking procedure, on the composition of gut microbiota and on fermentation end-products. Weanling rats were used as models of the human gut microbiota. Eight experimental diets were formulated with beef meat (Longissimus dorsi), chicken meat (Pectoralis major), white pea beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), soybeans (Glycine max), used raw and cooked, as sole source of protein in the diet. One casein diet was used as control. All diets, formulated to contain 15% of raw protein, were given to seven rats for four weeks. After euthanasia, caecal contents were collected. Pyrosequencing analyses (Roche 454 GS Junior Genome Sequencer) were performed to study the microbial composition. SCFA and BCFA were measured using HPLC (Waters 2690). Microbial composition in the caecum is associated to the type of dietary protein and to the cooking procedure applied. The proportion of BCFA in the caecal content is mainly affected by the type of protein. So BCFA represent respectively 04-06% and 35-44% of total SCFA with diets based on plant and on animal proteins. In conclusion, both the type of protein and the cooking procedure could impact the gut microbiota in terms of composition and of fermentative capacity. [less ▲]

Adding mucus to in vitro fermentation models of the large intestine showed that some genera, namely lactobacilli, are dependent on host-microbiota interactions and that they rely on mucosa layers to ... [more ▼]

Adding mucus to in vitro fermentation models of the large intestine showed that some genera, namely lactobacilli, are dependent on host-microbiota interactions and that they rely on mucosa layers to increase their activity. This study investigates whether this dependence on mucus is substrate-dependent and to which extend other genera are impacted by the presence of mucus. Inulin and cellulose were fermented in vitro by a fecal inoculum from pig in the presence or not of mucin-beads in order to compare fermentation patterns and bacterial communities. Mucins increased final gas production with inulin and shifted short-chain fatty acids molar ratios (P<0.001). QPCR analyses revealed that Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. decreased with mucins, but Bacteroides spp. increased when inulin was fermented. A more in-depth community analysis indicated that the mucins increased Proteobacteria (0.55 vs. 0.25 %, P=0.013), Verrucomicrobia (5.25 vs. 0.03 %, P=0.032), Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Akkermansia spp.. Proteobacteria (5.67 vs. 0.55 %, P<0.001) and Lachnospiraceae (33 vs. 10.4 %) were promoted in the mucuscompared to the broth, while Ruminococcaceae decreased. The introduction of mucins affected many microbial genera and fermentation patterns, but from PCA results, the impact of mucus was independent from the fermentation substrate. [less ▲]

Since the ﬁrst Indochinese war, natural populations of Leiolepis guttata have been hunted for their meat in southeastern Vietnam as a subsistence meal; nowadays, it has become a luxury delicacy ... [more ▼]

Since the ﬁrst Indochinese war, natural populations of Leiolepis guttata have been hunted for their meat in southeastern Vietnam as a subsistence meal; nowadays, it has become a luxury delicacy. Commercial farms have become established since 2004 because of wild population declines and increasing demand for meat. We interviewed farmers and restaurateurs about the breeding and trade of the species to better understand the impact on wild populations. The results highlight the recent ﬂourishing expansion of farming with rapidly increasing product prices and number of farms, as well as the ease and proﬁtability of this activity. Wild population declines are widely acknowledged by authorities and local communities. Farms are being regarded as conservation pools to oﬀset wild stock depletion, in addition to an important source of income. We discuss the risks associated with this trade development and we emphasize the conservation implications. Demand for lizards as founders for farms and for meat are likely to increase further, but risks exist that the development of new farms would saturate the market causing prices to ultimately fall. Habitat destruction and over-collecting severely reduce wild populations, but the high densities of farmed lizards raise serious genetic and sanitary issues. We suggest that further information should be collected to assess the sustainability of this trade. Priority should be given to the assessment of natural population densities and hunting eﬀort. Biological patterns of this species are poorly documented and sound knowledge would enable better management of farms, and if this species is recognized as endangered could lead restrictions on harvesting of wild populations. [less ▲]

Building of an enclosure for rearing of the spotted butterfly lizard, Leiolepis guttata (Cuvier, 1829), by the first farmer in 2004 (in Hong Chinh commune, Hoa Thang ward, Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province) is considered as a fortuitous discovery which was the initiator of the current expanding trend of its rearing. Because L. guttata is a wild animal, with strong disease resistance and adaptation capacity, livestock farmers are presently not very interested in important aspects: rearing techniques, enclosure’s types, sex ratio, diseases’ prevention, etc. Notably the building of enclosures not perfectly suitable breeds a noticeable loss of the number of lizards and a reduction in the profits for the farmers. To this end, the building of two types of enclosures adapted to local rearing conditions and the investing capital available in Bac Binh district, Binh Thuan province is presently essential. We descrite two types of enclosure: the first one surrounded by a bricks (or breeze blocks) wall, the second one fended by a fiber cement corrugated sheets wall. Moreover, we suggest to introduce plants in order to build a vegetal cover nearer to the natural environment of L. guttata: shrubs and a plant carpet becoming the preferential refuge area of the spotted butterfly lizard. [less ▲]

The nutritive value of 20 forage plants commonly used for feeding pigs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was studied to determine chemical composition, protein amino acid profiles, mineral content, and in vitro digestibility using a two-step method combining an enzymatic pepsin and pancreatin hydrolysis followed by a 72 h gas-test fermentation. The highest protein contents (270–320 g/kg DM) were obtained for Vigna unguiculata, Psophocarpus scandens, Leucaena leucocephala, Manihot esculenta, and Moringa oleifera. Grasses, Acacia mangium, and Eichhornia crassipes, showed the lowest crude protein (CP) and highest NDF contents. Cajanus cajan and Trypsacum andersonii had the most balanced amino acid profile, being deficient in lysine and slightly deficient in histidine, while Megathyrsus maximus displayed the highest number of essential amino acids deficiencies. High mineral contents were obtained from, in ascending order, with M. oleifera, V. unguiculata, E. crassipes, Ipomea batatas and Amaranthus hybridus. In vitro dry matter digestibility ranged from 0.25 to 0.52, in vitro CP digestibility from 0.23 to 0.80, in vitro energy digestibility from 0.23 to 0.52. M. esculenta, M. oleifera, I. batatas, Mucuna pruriens, V. unguiculata, P. scandens and A. hybridus showed high digestibilities for all nutrients. Gas production during fermentation of the pepsin and pancreatin-indigestible fraction of the plants varied from 42 ml/g DM for A. mangium to 202 ml/g DM for I. batatas (P<0.001). Short-chain fatty acid production during fermentation varied from 157 to 405 mg/g of the pepsin and pancreatin indigestible fraction. It is concluded that some of these species are interesting sources of proteins and minerals with a good digestibility that might be used more economically than concentrate, especially in smallholder production systems, to improve pig feeding, mineral intake and intestinal health in pigs reared in the tropics. [less ▲]

The use of stable15N as a marker to determine microbial contamination in nylon bag incubation residues to estimate protein degradability was investigated. Three methods using15N were compared:15N-labeled ... [more ▼]

The use of stable15N as a marker to determine microbial contamination in nylon bag incubation residues to estimate protein degradability was investigated. Three methods using15N were compared:15N-labeled forage (dilution method, LF),15N enrichment of rumen solids-associated bacteria (SAB), and 15N enrichment of rumen liquid-associated bacteria (LAB). Herbage from forages differing in protein and fiber contents (early-cut Italian ryegrass, late-cut Italian ryegrass, and red clover) were freeze-dried and ground and then incubated in situ in the rumen of 3 steers for 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h using the nylon bag technique. The15N-labeled forages were obtained by fertilizing the plots where herbage was grown with15NH4 15NO3. Unlabeled forages (obtained from plots fertilized with NH4NO3) were incubated at the same time that (15NH4)2SO4 was continuously infused into the rumen of the steers, and then pellets of labeled SAB and LAB were isolated by differential centrifugation of samples of ruminal contents. The proportion of bacterial N in the incubation residues increased from 0.09 and 0.45 g bacterial N/g total N at 3 h of incubation to 0.37 and 0.85 g bacterial N/g total N at 48 h of incubation for early-cut and late-cut ryegrass, respectively. There were differences (P < 0.001) between uncorrected N degradability values and those corrected for microbial contamination with all of the methods. Apparent N degradability of the low-N, high-fiber forage (latecut ryegrass) was 0.51, whereas the corrected values were 0.85, 0.84, and 0.77 for the LF, SAB, and LAB methods, respectively. With early-cut ryegrass and red clover, the differences between uncorrected and corrected values ranged between 6% and 13%, with small differences among the labeling methods. Generally, methods using labeled forage or labeled SAB and LAB provided similar corrected degradability values. The accuracy in estimating the extent of degradation of protein in the rumen from in situ disappearance curves is improved when values are corrected for microbial contamination of the bag residue. [less ▲]

in Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics (2014), 115

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), pigs are raised almost exclusively by smallholders either in periurban areas of major cities such as Kinshasa or in rural villages. Unfortunately, little ... [more ▼]

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), pigs are raised almost exclusively by smallholders either in periurban areas of major cities such as Kinshasa or in rural villages. Unfortunately, little information is available regarding pig production in the Western part of the DRC, wherefore a survey was carried out to characterize and compare 319 pig production systems in their management and feeding strategies, along a periurban - rural gradient in Western provinces of the DRC. Pig breeding was the main source of income (43 %) and half of respondent were active in mixed pig and crop production, mainly vegetable garden. Depending on the location, smallholders owned on average 18 pigs, including four sows. Piglet mortality rate varied from 9.5 to 21.8% while average weaned age ranged between 2.2 and 2.8 months. The major causes of mortality reported by the farmers were African swine fever 98%, Swine erysipelas (60%), erysipelas trypanosomiasis (31 %), Swine worm infection (17 %), and diarrhoea (12 %). The majority of the pigs were reared in pens without free roaming and fed essentially with locally available by-products and forage plants whose nature varied according with the location of the farm. The pig production systems depended on the local environment; particularly in terms of workforces, herd structure and characteristics, production parameters, pig building materials, selling price and in feed resources. It can be concluded that an improvement of Congolese pig production systems should consider (1) a reduction of inbreeding, (2) an improvement in biosafety to reduce the incidence of African swine fever and the spread of other diseases, and (3) an improvement in feeding practices. [less ▲]

The objective of this study was to discriminate by a NIR line scan hyperspectral imaging, taxonomic plant families comprised of different grassland species. Plants were collected from semi-natural meadows ... [more ▼]

The objective of this study was to discriminate by a NIR line scan hyperspectral imaging, taxonomic plant families comprised of different grassland species. Plants were collected from semi-natural meadows of the National Apuseni Park, Apuseni Mountains, Gârda area (Romania) according to botanical families. Chemometric tools such as PLS-DA were used to discriminate distinct grassland species, and assign the different species to botanical families. Species within the Poacea family and Other Botanical Families could be distinguished (R2=0.91 and 0.90, respectively) with greater accuracy than those species in the Fabacea family (R2=0.60). A correct classification rate of 99% was obtained in the assignment of the various species to the proper family. Moreover a complete study based on wavelength selection has been performed in order to identify the chemical compound related to each botanical family and therefore to the possible toxicity of the plant. This work could be considered as a first step for the development of a complete procedure for the detection and quantification of possible toxic species in semi-natural meadows used by grazing animals. [less ▲]

in 64th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (2013, August 29)

Screening the prebiotic potential of novel indigestible carbohydrates (ICH) is a challenge for feed and food industry and in vitro models are increasingly used for such purposes. Recently extracellular ... [more ▼]

Screening the prebiotic potential of novel indigestible carbohydrates (ICH) is a challenge for feed and food industry and in vitro models are increasingly used for such purposes. Recently extracellular binding proteins responsible for the adherence to intestinal mucus were described for several Lactobacillus species. As this genus is known for its beneficial effect on gut health, we enriched the in vitro gas fermentation model with mucin in order to evaluate the prebiotic potential of 5 ICH. Mucin-coated microcosms (MCM) were prepared as described by Van den Abbeele et al. (2012, Microbial Biotechnology, 5, 106-115) and introduced in the fermentation bottles with an inoculum prepared from fresh faeces of 3 sows mixed with a nutritive buffer solution. Fermentation was performed at 39°C, using 200 mg of substrate, 30 ml of inoculum and 6 MCM, yielding approx. 20 mg mucin each, in 140 ml glass bottles. A first study was performed with inulin and cellulose as substrates, with and without mucus in the bottles. A second study was performed with 5 substrates (inulin, IMO, beet pulp POS, cellobiose and gluconate) in presence of mucus. After 8 and 72h, SCFA and the microflora of fermentation broth was analysed as well as the microflora on the MCM. The comparison of the microflora evolution with and without mucus showed a better development of the Lactobacillus in the fermentation broth, mainly in presence of inulin. The development of the Lactobacillus genus allowed the classification of the 5 substrates tested in the second study (Inulin > IMO > Gluconate > Cellobiose > POS)(P < 0.05) which was not possible without mucus (P > 0.05). Inulin and IMO showed also the highest development of Bifidobacteria (P < 0.05) and the highest levels of butyrate production (P < 0.05) compared to the three other substrates, indicating a high prebiotic potential. [less ▲]

The study was conducted to assess the nutritional value, in vitro digestibility and in vivo digestibility in growing pigs offered diets containing 15% green and ripe bananas in meal form. Results showed that dry matter content (DM,%) in banana fruit (at green, semi-ripe, ripe stages), banana flower and stem were 13.77, 12.59, 14.10, 7.53 and 7.83% respectively; Gross energy of bananas are from 3734 to 4115 kcal/kg DM; CP and NDF content of green banana were higher than that of semi-ripe and ripe banana. In vitro digestibility of DM, CP and GE in green banana is lower than that of the semi-ripe and ripe fruits (44.40%,70.36%, 44.90% compared with 81.43%, 75.65%, 55.52% and 85.44%, 78.60%, 54.04% respectively). In vivo digestibility of DM, GE's green banana diet was higher than ripe banana diet and control diet (85.70%, 86.00% compared with 81.69%, 80.25% and 84.76%, 84.09% respectively). However, in vivo digestibility of CP was higher in green banana diet than in ripe banana diet and was lower than the control diet. In addition, green banana diet reduces the amount of nitrogen excreted in the urine and increases nitrogen use efficiency than ripe banana diet and the control diet. [less ▲]

In this review, various applications of Near Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging (NIR-HSI) in agriculture and in the quality control of agro-food products are presented. NIR-HSI is an emerging technique that ... [more ▼]

In this review, various applications of Near Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging (NIR-HSI) in agriculture and in the quality control of agro-food products are presented. NIR-HSI is an emerging technique that combines classical NIR spectroscopy and imaging techniques in order to simultaneously obtain spectral and spatial information from a field or a sample. The technique is non-destructive, non-polluting, fast and relatively inexpensive per analysis. Currently, its applications in agriculture range from vegetation mapping, crop disease, stress and yield detection to component identification in plants and impurity detection. There is growing interest in HSI for the safety and quality assessment of agro-food products. The applications have been classified from the level of satellite images to the macroscopic, if not, molecular level. [less ▲]